No Security Deposit Required

Oct 24, 2010

Debt collection related to former apartment
by: Mary

The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) gives you the right to request that the debt collector who has contacted you provide you with written verification of the debt. Therefore, if you do not think you owe the money that the collector wants you to pay, your first step should be to send the collector a letter indicating that you do not believe that you owe the money and requesting that he provide you with proof of the debt. Note! You must make this request within 30 days of receiving the initial collection notice from the collector.

Send your letter certified mail with a return receipt requested. Make a copy of the letter and store it as well as the return receipt in your files.

If you are not sure what to say in your letter, you'll find a sample letter to write in the ebook that I wrote with Gerri Detweiler. Click here to get our ebook Debt Collection Answers. The book also explains how to deal with debt collectors and all of your rights according to the FDCPA.

If the debt collector does not respond in writing to your verification request, he has violated the law and you should contact a consumer law attorney in your area who helps consumers resolve debt collection problems. Find out how to get FREE or low cost legal advice about debt collection from a consumer law attorney here.

The debt collector will also be violating the law once he receives your letter disputing the debt if he does not let the credit bureau/s he reports to know that you have disputed the debt. So, if that fact does not appear in your credit file/s, then it's another reason to contact a consumer law attorney.

One other thing: Although a debt collector must respond in writing to your request for verification, the FDCPA does not spell out exactly what information the collector must provide to you in his response. Therefore, the information you receive may not be very detailed or helpful. If that's the case, write the collector again and ask for a more detailed accounting. Again, make a copy of your letter and send it certified mail with a return receipt. If the collector does not respond or if his response still does not clear up your confusion, get legal help.

Please share what happens with your situation in the comments section for this question. We are very interested in hearing how this turns out for you, and your experience can help others who are struggling with debt collectors.

No Security Deposit Required

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